Threaded weld studs are often welded to products or work pieces prior to painting or coating of the work piece. The studs are applied to the work piece prior to the painting in an effort to eliminate the cost of removing paint from a work piece that would otherwise adversely affect the quality of the weld. Typically, threaded studs exposed to a painting operation without some sort of protection will have a coating of paint applied to the threads that would prevent proper fastening to the stud using a nut or other fastening component. In such situations, the threaded studs that are welded prior to the painting operation require thread protectors or covers that are installed on the stud prior to the painting operation. The protectors or covers must then be removed or uninstalled after the painting operation. The addition of protectors and covers increases the overall cost of manufacturing the desired part and also requires additional operations including the installation and removal of protectors following a paint operation.
There is therefore a need in the art for a threaded weld stud that may be attached or welded to a work piece prior to the painting operation that does not require a separate protector or cover while still maintaining the integrity of the threaded portion of the stud for fastening after a painting operation.